The management of Ciscon Nigeria limited has consistently and criminally cheated its staff of their personal entitlement some of which include:

1. Inconsistent and Nonpayment of salaries and allowances for over three months in spite of the current economic hardship and high cost of living

2. Deduction of employee tax without remitting it to tax office. Therefore employee could not obtain tax clearance and tax identification numbers.

3. Continuous deduction of pension from staff and non remittance to the Pension fund administrators from January 2014 to date. The implication here is that personnel loses both capital and interest monthly as the fund is not available for trading in the interest of the personnel. Overtime Ciscon had failed to pay the penalty for withholding employee pension as stipulated by Section 11, subsection 6 & 7 of the Pension reform Act of 2014. Also staff that had already been laid off cannot exhibit their right to access 25% of their pension fund as stipulated by section 16, subsection 2C of the pension reform Act due to the non remittances up till their month of termination of employment.

4. Continuous deductions from staff and non remittances of National housing fund (NHF)

5. Continuous deductions from staff and non remittances of HMO to healthcare providers since January 2015. This has consistently make personnel unable to access basic health care services.

6. Non remittances of staff cooperative deductions to the cooperative accounts which implies that personnel loses both capital and interest monthly as the fund is not available for trading in the interest of the personnel.

7. Non remittances of staff welfare deductions to the welfare accounts which implies that personnel loses both capital and interest monthly as the fund is not available for trading in the interest of the personnel.

Please all relevant and respective agencies should please look into these and act accordingly.

It has come to the knowledge of staff that Shawsand which was built and ran with the proceeds of Ciscon is now wealthier than Ciscon itself. No wonder the MD Mr. Shawley Coker shed crocodile tears when he talked about the “sinking hole” ahead. Barely three months later, had it come to the knowledge of staff that he had floated two companies in the US with the proceeds of Ciscon. He foresaw the slow replenishment by Ciscon due to the down turn in the oil industry and that was what he meant by the sinking hole. He bought shares, properties and assets from different companies with the proceeds of Ciscon (as this was the usual routine) creating a deficit in Ciscon’s account while employee work assiduously to replenish this deficit so that they can continuously be in business and get salaries. Salaries owed to Ciscon by major producers were converted to his personal shares in those companies. This was how he became share holders in many companies. These are deliberate attempts to make Ciscon perpetually broke.

It is pertinent to know that Ciscon is an oil servicing company established in 1986 which renders Casing and tubular services, Well completion services, Slick line services, Geological services, Machine shop and fabrication services, Fishing tools services and training services to operating companies and other servicing companies.

The MD/ CEO of Ciscon Nigeria Limited (with branches in Port Harcourt, Warri, Lagos, Houston Texas in USA and Oklahoma in USA) is Mr. Shawley Coker, a Nigerian born sierra Leonean oil and gas businessman who is a onetime chairman of PETAN, onetime president of OTC Nigeria, onetime West African regional manager of Weatherford where he currently enjoys pension benefits, a major share holder in Energia, the owner of shawsand medical center here in Port Harcourt, owner of shawsand estates and shareholder in many other companies. He is also a member of the governing council of the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

In recent time he hired old and retired multinational oil company managers to run the affairs of the company at the detriment of the staff who have labored over the years to grow the company to the present status. Two of the managers he hired are Dr. Joe Ejedawe, a retired exploration manager SPDC and Mr Yomi Orenuga, a retired top management staff with TOTAL group both of which currently enjoys pension benefits from their former companies.

However, oweing to the down turn of oil and gas global business, it is imperative for companies to pay off staff and retain a sizeable number they can manage, this of which many companies have done. Some of the companies include Haliburton, Schlumberger, Baker, Geoservices, Fredikov e.t.c. In spite of this, Ciscon decided to retain all staff and continuously owe salary, making incessant downward review of the personnel condition of service and terminal benefits in a bid to frustrate personnel into resignation. To further compound this issue, Ciscon management had earlier instructed that staff should stay at home and would be called upon when needed and that personnel will not be allowed into the company premise even when they possess valid company identity cards. Personnel saw this as unceremonious dismissal and therefore engaged in industrial action after consultation with their union PENGASSAN. Ciscon management and Ciscon PENGASSAN executives met and a decision was reached to suspend all industrial actions and resume full work schedules and a time frame was agreed upon to discuss and finalize a collective bargain agreement (CBA). Ciscon management had consistently failed to meet up their own part of the agreement and keep shifting the goal post to buy more time by fabricating fraudulent excuses. The union and staff had been patient all these while but a new twist came up in the midst of the ongoing negotiation when the MD, Mr. Shawley Coker deployed trucks of mobile policemen to the port Harcourt and Warri operational bases. This action is to further intimidate, harass and continue the injustice met on the staff.

At exactly 10pm on Saturday 2nd July 2016, personnel were sent termination letters via emails and courier services from Ciscon HR Mrs Chioma Ken-Oshioya. However, in spite of these, the staff had remained calm, more united, resolute and stand firm with their union.

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